Matt Kuchar hit hole-in-one at Masters. Bradenton boy then won prize of a lifetime

PGA golfer Matt Kuchar has gained some new local fans for life after his act of generosity during the Masters.

After sinking a hole-in-one on the 16th hole Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, Kuchar removed the ball from the cup, promptly autographed it and handed it to a beaming 8-year-old Bradenton boy in the green-side gallery.

Though Kuchar didn’t win the Masters, he finished in a tie for fourth, Owen Lockaby walked away from the tournament a big winner in his own way.

After Kuchar aced the par-3 16th, he strolled onto the green and reached into the cup, retrieving his ball. As thousands in the gallery and a national television audience watched, he signed it, blew on it and promptly walked over to a young boy in a straw hat wearing an “Arnie’s Army” pin — a button Augusta National gave out as a tribute to the late Arnold Palmer.

That boy was Owen Lockaby.

“I was just really excited and when he handed me the ball ... it was really amazing,” Owen said over the phone as his family made the drive back to Bradenton from Augusta, Ga., Monday evening.

It was a moment that Jay Lockaby, Owen’s father, recalled as “the coolest thing ever.”

“It’s a magical place, and it’s very important to continue on with Owen. ... And magical stuff happens there every year,” the proud dad said. And this year was no exception.

It’s an important Lockaby family tradition to travel to the tournament every year. Jay Lockaby said his late father, Joe, began buying tickets decades ago.

Eventually, their family name was selected from a pool, and Jay Lockaby was granted lifetime eligibility to purchase tickets. He has been attending the Masters for 30 years.

Now, Owen himself has embraced the family’s tradition of the Masters pilgrimage.

“In a tiny way, it’s bittersweet that (Owen’s) granddad’s not here because having the whole group together would have been really wonderful,” Jay said.

Tracy Lockaby said Owen, though only 8, has been joining his father at the Masters for a decade. She laughed and said Owen attended his first Masters in utero and has continued to make the trek with year after year.

Jay Lockaby said their goal is that Owen will never miss a Masters.

Owen’s 5-year-old sister, Layla, is a bit jealous of all the attention her brother is getting, but Tracy said the family has become Kuchar fans for life after the experience. Lockaby even commended Kuchar for having the presence of mind to blow on the ball, drying the ink, after he signed it and before he handed it to Owen.

“I figured this would make a kid’s day and make a kid’s year,” Kuchar told the Associated Press. “It’s one of the neat things that we can do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Matt Kuchar hit hole-in-one at Masters. Bradenton boy then won prize of a lifetime."